Dead of Winter
by Tina-chan V
Summary: In the dead of leaf-bare, a stranger comes to ThunderClan, begging to be taken in. Hollyleaf is happy to help the poor tom learn the ways of the Clans, relishing her new role as a mentor. But there is more to this stranger than there seems, and soon ThunderClan will be enveloped in a darkness more terrifying than the cold that surrounds them.
1. Allegiances

**Greetings, lovelies!**

 **Welcome to** _ **Dead of Winter**_ **, a story that takes place during the time of** _ **Long Shadows**_ **and** _ **Sunrise**_ **. However, the fire never took place in this AU, among some other changes.**

 **WARNING:**

 **This is not a happy-go-lucky story, guys. There is going to be** _ **extremely**_ **suggestive moments, death, possible psychological torture, and other upsetting themes. Honestly, it might just switch to an M rating later on, down the road. If any of this bothers you, I suggest you find a happier story to read.**

 **For those of you who stick around, prepare for a crazy ride.**

 **Please enjoy!**

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 **THUNDERCLAN:**

 **LEADER:** Firestar – Ginger tom with green eyes

 **DEPUTY:** Brambleclaw – Large, dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **MEDICINE CAT(S):** Leafpool – Light-brown tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Jayfeather

 **WARRIORS:**

Dustpelt – Dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Sandstorm – Pale-ginger she-cat with green eyes

Graystripe – Long-furred, gray tom with amber eyes

Thornclaw – Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Brackenfur – Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Icepaw

Brightheart – Scarred, white she-cat with ginger patches and one blue eye

Cloudtail – Long-furred, white tom with blue eyes

Ashfur – Pale-gray tom with darker flecks and dark-blue eyes

Sorreltail – Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Squirrelflight – Dark-ginger she-cat with one white paw and green eyes. **Apprentice,** Foxpaw

Spiderleg – Long-limbed, black tom with a brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall – Light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Hazeltail – Small, gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes

Mousewhisker – Large, gray-and-white tom with green eyes

Berrynose – Cream tom with amber eyes

Poppyfrost – Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Honeyfern – Light-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Cinderheart – Gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Hollyleaf – Black she-cat with green eyes

Lionblaze – Large, golden tabby tom with amber eyes

 **APPRENTICES:**

Jayfeather – Gray tabby tom with blind, blue eyes

Foxpaw – Reddish-brown tabby tom with green eyes

Icepaw – White she-cat with blue eyes

 **QUEENS:**

Ferncloud – Pale-gray she-cat with darker flecks and pale-green eyes

Daisy – Long-furred, cream she-cat with blue eyes. From the horseplace. Mother of Spiderleg's kits; Rosekit (dark-cream she-kit) and Toadkit (black-and-white tomkit)

Millie – Light-gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Mother of Graystripe's kits; Briarkit (brown she-kit), Bumblekit (very pale gray tomkit with black stripes), and Blossomkit (tortoiseshell-and-white she-kit)

Whitewing – White she-cat with green eyes. Expecting Birchfall's kits

 **ELDERS:**

Mousefur – Small, dusky-brown she-cat with amber eyes

Longtail – Pale-brown tabby tom with dark stripes and blue eyes. Retired early due to blindness

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 **SHADOWCLAN:**

 **LEADER:** Blackstar – Huge, white tom with jet-black paws and amber eyes

 **DEPUTY:** Russetfur – Dark-ginger she-cat with dark-green eyes

 **MEDICINE CAT(S):** Littlecloud – Very small, brown tabby tom with blue eyes. **Apprentice,** Flamepaw

 **WARRIORS:**

Oakfur – Small, brown tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Tigerpaw

Ratscar – Scarred, dark-brown tom with green eyes. **Apprentice,** Shrewpaw

Smokefoot – Black tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Owlpaw

Snaketail – Dark-brown tom with a striped tail and amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Scorchpaw

Tawnypelt – Pale, tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Rowanclaw – Ginger tom with amber eyes

Toadfoot – Dark-brown tom with amber eyes

Applefur – Mottled, brown she-cat with green eyes

Whitewater – White she-cat, blind in one eye. **Apprentice,** Redpaw

Ivytail – Black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. **Apprentice,** Dawnpaw

Crowfrost – Black-and-white tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Olivepaw

Kinkfur – Spiky-furred, dark-gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

 **APPRENTICES:**

Owlpaw – Light-brown tabby tom with green eyes

Olivepaw – Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Shrewpaw – Gray she-cat with black paws and amber eyes

Scorchpaw – Dark-gray tom with amber eyes

Redpaw – Mottled, brown-and-ginger tom with green eyes

Tigerpaw – Dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Flamepaw – Ginger tom with blue eyes

Dawnpaw – Cream she-cat with amber eyes

 **QUEENS:**

Snowbird – Pure-white she-cat with green eyes. Mother of Scorchpaw's kits; Cloverkit (gray tabby she-kit), Ripplekit (white tomkit), and Berrykit (black-and-white she-kit)

 **ELDERS:**

Cedarheart – Dark gray tom with amber eyes

Tallpoppy – Long-legged, light-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

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 **WINDCLAN:**

 **LEADER:** Onestar – Light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **DEPUTY:** Ashfoot – Gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **MEDICINE CAT(S):** Barkface – Short-tailed, dark-brown tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Kestrelpaw

 **WARRIORS:**

Tornear – Wiry, gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Whitetail – Small, white she-cat with green eyes

Nightcloud – Black she-cat with amber eyes

Crowfeather – Very dark, almost black, gray tom with blue eyes

Owlwhisker – Light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Gorsetail – Very pale, gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Dewspots – Spotted, gray tabby she-cat with green eyes. **Apprentice,** Sedgepaw

Willowclaw – Gray she-cat with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Swallowpaw

Weaselfur – Ginger tom with white paws and amber eyes

Leaftail – Very dark, ginger tabby tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Thistlepaw

Harespring – Brown-and-white tom with blue eyes

Emberfoot – Gray tom with two dark paws and amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Sunpaw

Antpelt – Small, brown tom with one black ear and amber eyes

Heathertail – Light-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Breezepelt – Black tom with amber eyes

 **APPRENTICES:**

Kestrelpaw – Mottled, gray-brown tom with green eyes

Swallowpaw – Dark-gray she-cat with amber eyes

Sedgepaw – Light-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Thistlepaw – Long-furred, white she-cat with blue eyes

Sunpaw – Tortoiseshell she-cat with a white mark on her forehead and amber eyes

 **ELDERS:**

Morningflower – Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Webfoot – Wiry, dark-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

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 **RIVERCLAN:**

 **LEADER:** Leopardstar – Unusually-spotted, golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **DEPUTY:** Mistyfoot – Gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **MEDICINE CAT(S):** Mothwing – Dappled, golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Willowshine

 **WARRIORS:**

Blackclaw – Smoky-black tom with green eyes

Mosspelt – Tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes. **Apprentice,** Pebblepaw

Graymist – Pale-gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Dawnflower – Very pale, gray she-cat with blue eyes

Reedwhisker – Black tom with gray eyes

Voletooth – Small, brown tabby tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Minnowpaw

Mintfur – Light-gray tabby tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Nettlepaw

Beechfur – Light-brown tom with amber eyes

Rippletail – Dark-gray tabby tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Mallowpaw

Dapplenose – Mottled, gray she-cat with amber eyes

Pouncetail – Ginger-and-white tom with green eyes

Otterheart – Dark-brown she-cat with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Sneezepaw

Pinefur – Short-furred, brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. **Apprentice,** Robinpaw

Duskfur – Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes. **Apprentice,** Copperpaw

Rainstorm – Mottled, blue-gray tom with green eyes

 **APPRENTICES:**

Willowshine – Dark-gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Minnowpaw – Dark-gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Pebblepaw – Mottled, pale-gray tom with green eyes

Nettlepaw – Dark-brown tabby tom with blue green eyes

Robinpaw – Pale, tortoiseshell-and-white tom with blue eyes

Copperpaw – Dark-ginger she-cat with green eyes

Mallowpaw – Light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Sneezepaw – Gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

 **QUEENS:**

Icewing – White she-cat with green eyes. Mother of Mintfur's kits; Petalkit (gray-and-white she-kit), Beetlekit (brown-and-white tomkit), Grasskit (light-brown tomkit), and Pricklekit (tabby-and-white tomkit)

 **ELDERS:**

Heavystep – Thickset, brown tabby tom with green eyes

Swallowtail – Plump, dark-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Stonestream – Gray tom with blue eyes

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 **OUTSIDERS:**

Flint – Large, dark-gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Frostbite – Sleek, white she-cat with blue eyes

Branch – Large, dark-brown tom with green eyes

Eagle – Dull-gray tom with amber eyes

Tangle – Long-haired, black tom with one green eye

Smolder – Long-haired, ginger tom with amber eyes

Rain – Pale, tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Nettle – Cream-and-brown tom with blue eyes

Toad – Skinny, brown tabby tom with messy, patchy fur and amber eyes

Pine – Ginger-and-white tom with green eyes

Cloud – Black-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Webs – Scarred, white tom with amber eyes


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

He had to keep running.

The wind was cold and unforgiving as it whirled and howled around him. Snow whipped through the air, so cold when it met his face that it almost stung. His legs ached, freezing to the bone as his numbed muscles protested every agonizing movement. His fur offered no solace, as thick as it was. Clumps of snow stuck to him, weighing him down as he pushed onward.

His breath came in short, desperate puffs of visible cloud. His lungs were burning just as much as the rest of his body. Every muscle, every hair and every inch of his being wanted him to stop and rest. But resting meant stopping.

And stopping meant death.

It seemed almost as if every element of nature was against him tonight. That morning, he'd been so sure he'd escaped. That, at last, he could stop looking over his shoulder with every heartbeat. That perhaps he could finally settle down without constant paranoia tearing into every thought and choice that came into his mind. After all, he hadn't seen, heard, or smelled his pursuers in days.

But he'd been wrong. He'd been so, so wrong.

Like a fool, he'd gotten comfortable. He'd made a friend, Max was his name. Max had been so kind, so wonderful, and so pitifully naïve. What else could he expect from a housecat? Max had been the first cat to show him kindness in so long, inviting him to sleep on his housefolk's porch, and letting him eat from his bowl of delicious "wet food". He didn't want to risk scaring him off, so of course he didn't tell him about _them_.

That made it his fault. His fault that _they_ found out where he was and took it out on the poor, poor housecat. Max— sweet, beautiful, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly Max— didn't stand a chance.

' _I'm so sorry, Max,'_ he thought sorrowfully.

There hadn't been time to mourn. He'd had to run.

How long had he been running now? Everything hurt, burning, stinging, and feeling like he was being torn to shreds with every step. But this was nothing compared to what he knew _they_ would do if they caught him.

He just had to find someplace safe. Somewhere he could hide even just for one night.

But there was nowhere. Nowhere that he could see. The blizzard had caused a whiteout so thick that he felt like he was running through emptiness. Where was the moon's light? He could be on a road for all he knew. Part of him hoped that he was. He hoped that a roller would come and crush him, flatten him into the ground. It sounded awful and painful, but still it was _better_.

It was quiet. All he could hear was his own heartbeat, thundering as his blood rushed through his ears. Where was the sound of pawsteps? Where was the jeering, sadistic laughter that haunted his dreams? It was a relief and a thrum of dread all at once.

Suddenly, as he continued forward, something began to appear. His heart jerked and lurched in his chest as he thought for one terrifying moment that _they_ had found him. But no. No….

It was trees. The outline of trees, a gradually darkening gray as he drew closer. Hope began to rise in his chest. Trees were good. Trees meant forest, forest meant undergrowth, and undergrowth meant cover. Logs, ferns, shrubs, and rocks. All good for hiding.

The snow would make it hard enough for them to track him, but the safety of a bush? Impossible; _they_ would never find him. Not without searching all night long in a mind-numbing blizzard. No, _they_ would give up. Just for a night. A day if he was lucky. That would give him precious time to run and hopefully put some distance between him and _them_.

Yes, these trees would be his salvation.

He just had to keep running.

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 **A/N: And that, my dears, is the beginning of our tale. I hope you liked it!**

 **Of course, the actual chapters will be longer. I usually aim for 1,000 to 3,000 words, so I promise there will be more to enjoy.**

 **Please review, guys. Feedback is one of the best motivators, and it honestly fuels my writing. I would love to know what you guys think, so don't be shy!**

 **I like to put a fun-fact at the end of my chapters, so here is our first one:**

 **Fact:** **Kate Cary says Puddleshine was the only ShadowClan cat she liked around the time of** _ **Tigerheart's Shadow**_ **. The rest of the Clan seemed too selfish and disloyal.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


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